Apex Pilot Project

The City of Iqaluit has contracted for a pilot project in the satellite community of Apex. Concept plans and downloads are available on this page.

There has been some local and national press with respect to this project, Nunatsiaq news has run three stories, the first in May of 2001, the second in February and the last in March.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities - grant and loan

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has awarded a grant and a loan for a pilot project to the Municipality of Iqaluit under it's "Green Municipal Infrastructure Funds" program. A copy of the application summary to the Federation is here as a PDF file. As part of that application, a concept plan and study are being developed for the Apex project.

Concept Study and Design

Water Delivery cost reduction.

The proposed project include water recycling to reduce water use in each of the client buildings, the application also referred to communal water deliveries through a pipe system to top up existing water tanks.

Community Consultation

The City of Iqaluit convened a meeting at Abe Okpik hall in Apex to get community reaction and seek volunteer participants in the proposed pilot project. Mr. Mathew Hough represented the city technical staff and convened the meeting. Mr Kirt Ejesiak, Councilor represented council spoke about the citys' point of view. The presentation is available on this website, in addition a copy of the handouts are here as a PDF (text) and here as a schematic drawing in PDF format.

The reaction to the proposal was generally positive and a number of people volunteered to participate at the meeting. CBC radio carried coverage on the following monday morning.

Cost of Water service and sewage service

The cost of water and sewer services in the City of Iqaluit was quantified in a 1999 study by Oliver, Mangione, McCalla and Associates. That study broke down the costs of trucked versus piped water service and further performed some time and motion study to detail individual costs in trucked water service delivery. By analyzing that study, to understand the components of the total cost, we have developed the following chart;



The chart is also available as a PDF file.

Alternative costs

In order to understand the potential benefits of communal water delivery, Creative Communities Research has estimated the water delivery cost for three different scenarios, in each scenario water delivery, water supply, sewage pickup and sewage disposal costs were separated. The scenarios are:

1. Conventional trucked water delivery, calculated as per the application to the FCM.
2. Healthy House Water System with water recycling, on site sewage disposal and with conventional delivery of potable water.
3. Healthy House System with water recycling, on site sewage disposal and deliveries to a small communal piped system.

The study table does not include the capital or operating costs for the various Healthy House Water System alternatives. The study table is available as a web page or as a pdf file.

Energy and maintenance costs

The project involves additional energy using equipment, the cost of operating and maintaining this equipment will offset the savings due to reduced trucking, reduced water use and reduced sewage treatment and disposal. The layout of the project effects these costs, in addition distributing water from a communal tank may effect energy costs significantly due to increases in freeze protection and pumping. To understand the operating cost implications the study includes Consumer and Municipal costs for five scenarios:

1. Conventional Trucked delivery, with consumer energy costs shown.
2. Individual Healthy House Systems, energy provided by consumers, but maintenance provided by the town
3. A communal Healthy House System, using existing the potable delivery system.
4. A Communal Healthy House System with communal piped potable water delivery.
5. Communal piped water delivery, additional costs as a separate column.

This table is a preliminary projection, to be used for design direction only. A web page of the table is here, and a pdf file is here.

Water rates, energy and maintenance costs

This table is an update of the above table, to include the effect of water use reduction on the cost to consumers and its effect on Municipal revenues. To understand the operating cost and water rate implications the study includes Consumer and Municipal costs for five scenarios:

1. Conventional Trucked delivery, with consumer energy costs shown.
2. Individual Healthy House Systems, energy provided by consumers, but maintenance provided by the town
3. A communal Healthy House System, using existing the potable delivery system.
4. A Communal Healthy House System with communal piped potable water delivery.
5. Communal piped water delivery, additional costs as a separate column.

This table is a preliminary projection, to be used for design direction only. A web page of the table is here, and a pdf file is here.

Discarded Concept - Branch Type layout, concept plan

The Branch Layout includes a communal Healthy House System, located in the back of the Municipal Garage, Homes and facilities nearby are connected using a combined service. The combined service is a 6" or 8" insulated duct, inside it are a potable service pipe(s), a reclaimed service pipe, a sewage forcemain, and a control conduit. The service is layed out in a branch type layout.

The website for this layout is at this link, or by a pdf document.

Discarded Concept - Star Type layout, concept plan

The Star Layout includes a communal Healthy House System, located in the back of the Municipal Garage, Homes and facilities nearby are connected using a combined service. The combined service is a 6" or 8" insulated duct, inside it are a potable service pipe(s), a reclaimed service pipe, a sewage forcemain, and a control conduit. The service is layed out in a star type layout, each building has its own dedicated connection to the Healthy House System

The website for this layout is at this link, or by a pdf document.

Discarded concept - Distributed layout, concept plan

The Distributed Layout is where each building has its own dedicated Healthy House System, Potable service only is served from a tank located in the back of the Municipal Garage, Homes and facilities nearby are connected using a single pipe service. The service is a 1`'' insulated potable service pipe. The pipe is only pressurized with water once or twice a day, and after each event is blown clear with compressed air. A communal outfall pipe leads away from each Healthy House System.

The website for this layout is at this link, or by a pdf document.

Active concept - Individual Home Systems, trucked water service

The most flexible approach is to install individual systems in each home or facility that shows interest in it. The Healthy House System is then relied on for wastewater treatment and to reduce water needs. The advantage of this approach is that only willing participants need to be included and there is minimal disturbance to the streets.

The individual system is positioned similar to a sewage tank, near the house and down from the drains. A single, above ground pipe leads to it from the household drains. A smaller pipe leads to the house and provides water to the fixtures that use recycled water. Finally, another small pipe runs away to the nearest storm swale or other outfall opportunity.

The website for this layout is here or by a PDF document..

Capturing benefits

In order to ensure that the municipality receives it's share of the cost benefit of providing on-site water reclamation equipment. We propose that a standard be created for the "tank full" float switches in trucked water service tanks. That standard should specify that the float switch turn off when the tank is one third empty and that it turn on when the tank is full. This will ensure that deliveries are not attempted when a tank is full or nearly full. A drawing illustrating the proposal is here.

System Drawings

The constraints of the Apex project require that the Healthy House System is in a compact and easily serviced form. Further, since the systems are planned for retrofit situations, they must be easily heated and provide for robust freeze protection.

The proposed form for the individual single home size Healthy House System is at this link, or by a pdf document.

Typical System Costs

Typical installation costs for retrofit situation are shown in the attached table, at this website, or by a PDF document.

Cost Study and Summary

The various options explored above are costed on a capital and operating basis in a table at this link, or by PDF document.

Recommendation

Community consultation, cost estimates and design studies recommend that the pilot project be implimented along the "Individual Home Systems, trucked water service" model with a layout and details shown in this website or this PDF file. If the city enters into "per unit" contracts, then management can ensure that the capital cost does not exceed the budget.

System Construction

Systems are under construction, the first systems are a Low design, suitable for installation under a house. The interior of the filter segments of the first unit can be seen here. The pumps and controls for the first system can be seen here.

The interior of the filter segments of the second unit can be seen here. The pumps and controls for the first system can be seen here.

Both systems in this shipment can be seen here (on the truck.)

Contact:

Please contact Creative Communities Research Inc. by email or by telephone, fax or mail. Creative Communities Research Inc.
152 Sparkhall Ave.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4K 1G8

Phone 416 466 5172
Facsimile 416 466 5173